Self Made (2020)
Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C. J. Walker is an American drama streaming limited TV series, based on A'Lelia Bundles' biographyOn Her Own Land, premiered on 20 March 2020 on Netflix. Self Made is a fictionalized portrayal of the untold story of the black hair care pioneer and mogul Madam C. J. Walker, and how she resolved the hostilities of America's turn-of-the-century, dramatic rivalries, and turbulent relationships to become America's first black, self-made millionaire woman. [1]
The Life of Madam C.J. Walker
Hair is a vital aspect of the black culture, it's how black people view themselves and expect people to see them. The story of black hair is directly related to black culture, particularly for black women; although natural hair is more freely encouraged today, black women have long been forced to straighten and alter their natural curls. In this respect, Madam C.J. Walker is more than one of America's first black entrepreneurs. She is a critical figure in the world of black cosmetics that Netflix's Self-Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker brings to life. [2]
After running away from an abusive brother-in-law and working as a laundress, Walker began to lose her hair—at least partly because of the harsh soap ingredients, like lye, that respond badly to natural black hair. Luckily, she runs across Addie Munroe, a hairdresser who likes to do Walker's hair in exchange for the cleaned clothing. When Walker discovers that Addie's formula is the secret to growing black women's hair again, she offers to sell her product to her.
While Addie wants to sell her product to the women of colour, she doesn't want Walker to sell it because of how dark-skinned she is. As such, Walker takes it upon herself to come up with her own formula to help black women grow their hair through a number of scalp problems. The two of them become competitors. Addie goes as far as to move to Indianapolis, where Walker is in the process of opening up his own salon, and the rivalry between the two is increasing.
Black Empowerment
Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker, is not only about empowerment but also about the importance of the innate beauty of black women. Walker's account of becoming the world's first self-made millionaire, not only draws on her own personal challenges, but it also throws attention on the topics important to black women: colourism, colonialism, misogyny, classism, and more.
Throughout the four-episode arc, Walker approaches her business not only as a way to get hair products to black women but also as a way to financially empower them. She employed more than 20,000 agents—or hair culturists, as she called them—across the country. [3]
Walker was a woman who wouldn't let anyone get in the way of her dreams. Learning that those dreams involved not only making money but also raising black women is making the story more inspirational. For Walker, it wasn't just hair; it was a way to make black women feel beautiful, and it was a vocation for black women to earn their own money and boost their standing and stay independent.
Self Made tells us the story of a woman who has achieved against all odds – and it's especially great to see Netflix tell a story of black culture that goes past the slavery scenery that are common outlets for film and television. [4]
See also
Reference
- ↑ Self Made. Wikipedia. Retrieved Feb 1, 2021.
- ↑ Spivey, Kemberlie. “Self Made” Is an Empowering Look at Black Icon Madam C.J. Walker. Mar 20, 2020. thespool.net. Retrieved Feb 1, 2021.
- ↑ Spivey, Kemberlie. “Self Made” Is an Empowering Look at Black Icon Madam C.J. Walker. Mar 20, 2020. thespool.net. Retrieved Feb 1, 2021.
- ↑ Perez, Mel. Self Made review: Netflix series does justice to the extraordinary story of Madam CJ Walker. Mar 18, 2020. radiotimes.com. Retrieved Feb 1, 2021.